Hell of a Book by Jason Mott needs to be in every high school classroom library and on every reading list. The main character is a Black author who is traveling on his book tour to promote Hell of a Book. He is visited by the Kid, who is the ghost of a Black boy…
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A Classic to Consider: The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in A Classic to Consider, For Kids, Independent ReadingLeave a Reply
Teachers and students who are looking for a creepy children’s mystery novel this time of year will find exactly that in Virginia Hamilton’s The House of Dies Drear, and its sequel The Mystery of Drear House. As the new resident of a mansion that was once part of the Underground Railroad, young Thomas learns of…
Perfect Pairing: “The Split Cherry Tree” by Jesse Stuart and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Teachers who are looking for a short story to pair with To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, may find that Jesse Stuart’s short story, “The Split Cherry Tree” works well. In the short story, the protagonist must stay late at school as punishment, which causes his hard-working father to make a visit to the…
Art in the Classroom: Andrew Wyeth
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Art in the English Classroom, Teacher Inspiration, Teacher ResourcesLeave a Reply
Teachers, looking for a filler/one-day lesson? Try using a work of art to inspire creativity. Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World is a perfect choice. Viewers cannot help but be drawn into the painting. Who is she? Is she running away, or running toward the house? What do we learn about her from the details in the…
Sensational Sentences: The Lake House by Kate Morton
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Sensational Sentences, Teacher Resources, Teacher Tuesday, WritingLeave a Reply
If you are a reader or a writer or both, I’m sure you have come across sentences that make you pause and re-read them, not because they are confusing, but because they are so beautifully crafted you couldn’t take it all in the first time. I have a journal in which I copy sentences from…
Teacher Resources: Public Speaking
If you assign public speaking, oral presentations, debate, or any type of speaking in your classroom, I can bet that you are met with opposition from some shy students. Even our best writers, readers, and thinkers can be intimidated by a presentation assignment. The pressure not to mess up can be paralyzing for students. Why…
A Classic to Consider: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Teachers, as you revise your reading lists for the next school year, I recommend taking a look at The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Over the last few years I have seen many teachers asking for ideas on how to teach The Odyssey [TO] because students were struggling. I love TO and I…
A Gem of a Poem: “Dreams” by Langston Hughes
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in A Gem of A Poem, Teacher Inspiration, Teacher TuesdayLeave a Reply
Dreams by Langston Hughes Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow. Teachers, are you looking for something inspirational, short, and accessible for the end of the school year? I hear…
On My Bookshelf: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Monthly Reads, On My Bookshelf, Teacher InspirationLeave a Reply
Recently, I was reminded of Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, one of the first books I read for eighth grade English in grammar school. This picture is the exact one I read in eighth grade – my name and homeroom, “8A,” are written on the inside cover. I remember following Jonathan’s journey to get…
What I’m Reading: the Beartown Trilogy by Fredrik Backman
I’ve finished reading Fredrik Backman’s trilogy, Bear Town, Us Against You, and The Winners. Backman is one of my favorite contemporary authors. Readers get to know his characters in their day to day routines: what they eat; if they walk, run, or drive; if they’re good at hockey or not. Backman breaks the rule about…